Guide to the Papers of James Gleeson, 1915-2008

Summary

Collection number:

MS 7440, Acc09.018, Acc09.201, Acc16.019

Creator:

James Gleeson

Extent:

(125 ms boxes + 7 folio boxes + 2 map folios + 3 phase boxes + 1 packet)

Language:

English and English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of James Gleeson, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Part available for research; part permission required for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The papers in MS 7440 are arranged into 13 series: 1. Correspondence: family, 1956-1971: letters from mother, sister and niece; general, 1949-1984: letters from other artists and writers. Some of the correspondents are Edward and Honor Smith, Errol Peisby, Tom and Else Gleghorn, Lloyd Rees, Patrick White, Pam Bell and Desiderius Orban and Alister Kershaw. 2. Diaries and notebooks, 1948, 1958-1987. Diaries kept during Gleeson's travels. Notebooks that contain drafts of his writings. 3. Manuscripts: drafts, typescripts and working notes of writings, including Master pieces of Australian paintings (1969), William Dobell (1964) and Robert Klippel (1983). 4. Australian National Gallery, 1973-1982: reports, financial statements, some correspondence and minutes of meetings. 5. William Dobell Art Foundation, 1975-1979: correspondence, reports, photographs and minutes of meetings. 6. Visual Art Board, 1974-1976: minutes of meetings, grant applications and reports. 7. Commonwealth Art Advisory Board, 1972-1973: minutes, financial papers, reports and some correspondence. 8. A bound volume of original artworks and collages created by James Gleeson in 2000 when his life-long partner, Frank O'Keefe, was seriously ill in hospital. Gleeson presented the volume to O'Keefe on his recovery (47 boxes, 1 fol. boxes, 2 phase boxes).The Acc09.018 instalment consists of papers accumulated by Gleeson during the course of his long life and career. Over half of this instalment comprises photographic material, which includes images of Gleeson's works in a variety of mediums, photographs from his numerous trips overseas and a small group of family photographs. The remainder of the instalment comprises correspondence; diaries; papers relating to Gleeson's involvement with the Dobell Foundation; cuttings from newspapers and magazines; and a small group of invoices and receipts. There are a number of notebooks and binders containing Gleeson's notes for books, articles and lectures (62 boxes, 1 folio).The Acc09.201 instalment largely comprises photographic material of images of Gleeson's works in a variety of mediums. In addition, there are travel photographs and a small group of photographs of the O'Keefe family. The remainder of the instalment consists of correspondence, a folder of collage cutouts and Gleeson's palette (15 boxes, 6 fol. boxes, 1 map folio, 1 os phase box).The Acc16.019 consignment comprises a scrapbook of James Gleeson containing colour photographs of Gleeson's artwork series Odysseus, Apollo, Cadmus, Pelops, Perseus, Bellerophon, Theseus, Orion, Arion and Hercules. Details of galleries and dates of exhibitions are noted alongside most photographs. This addition also includes five typed poems of Li-Tai-Po, an 8th century Chinese poet.

Biographical Note:

Artist, author and art critic. Chairman, Acquisitions Committee, Australian National Gallery (1974-1975), member of Australian National Gallery Council (1974-82), Deputy Chairman Visual Arts Board, Australian Council for the Arts (1974-1976) and Director Sir William Dobell Art Foundation (1975-1979).

Collection Retrieval Advice:

Please note: each class in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there are multiple Box 1's). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2913071).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of James Gleeson, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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